September 30, 2009

Mike Sieczkowski has never brewed beer, he has never been a farmer – and up until a few months ago – he had never even seen a hop plant.

But inexperience hasn’t stopped him from becoming the first commercial hop grower in the Niagara Escarpment area in decades. Sieczkowski planted sixteen rhizomes of Mt. Hood and Nugget hops this winter, and armed with the expertise of Flying Bison Brewing Company brewmaster Tim Herzog, the fertile soil of the Escarpment, and a fearless sense of adventure, he is enjoying remarkable success.

Having moved to Budd Road in Cambria in 1998, Sieczkowski originally planned to use his 25 acres for horses. However, a visit to Buffalo’s Flying Bison Brewery opened his eyes to the world of beer.

As he got to know Tim Herzog, Sieczkowski learned that a severe, worldwide hop shortage was driving the price of hops sky-high. “Tim buys everything he can locally,” says Sieczkowski. “I asked him, what do you think about me growing some hops?” Herzog agreed to partner with Sieczkowski on the project, pairing his technical knowledge with Sieczkowski’s eagerness to experiment with his land.

Sieczkowski began researching the history of hop farming in the area. “Hops were introduced to the Finger Lakes area in the early 1800s, and by1850 New York was the primary hops supplier in the United States,” he says. As folks began to migrate into the western territories, the planting of hops followed, and New York has not been a major hop-producing state since.

Sieczkowski is looking to change that. “I have a passion for things local and fresh. There’s a market here, with Tim at the brewery, plus approximately 50 breweries on the Empire State Beer trail – and a hop shortage. So I said, why this negativity?”

Sieczkowski needed a crash course in hop farming. “I didn’t even know what hops looked like!” he recalls. In April, when he was ready to plant, Herzog and Paul Lehman of the Cornell Cooperative Extension showed up to guide him through the process, and they found more than they’d bargained for. “They were looking at the field covered with weeds, land not cultivated, and said, ‘where are you gonna put ‘em?’ I thought I’d just go out there with a shovel, dig a hole, put the rhizomes in and forget about it.” Together they found a spot with sandy, well-drained Hudson soil and tilled the area several times over the next few weeks. Regarding his tent-shaped trellis system, with runners coming up from two rows to a single middle cord, Sieczkowski shrugs, “I kind of made it up.”

Finally, on May 1 Sieczkowski and Herzog planted the sixteen rhizomes.

Asked if his wife thought he was crazy for attempting this experiment, he recalled a frost warning early this spring after he had planted the rhizomes. “I was out here in the middle of the night with a flashlight and plastic containers from Chinese soup covering up the sprouts. I think she was a little worried.”

Frost wasn’t Sieczkowski’s only challenge. Herzog’s passion for environmental consciousness, well-known to his brewery customers, carried over into the tending of the baby hop plants: no fertilizer, no pesticides. Ladybugs help control pests such as aphids, and Sieczkowski is careful to keep the shoots high off the ground to prevent mildew and achieve better air circulation.

Hops, just like grapevines, need a few years to become established, so Sieczkowski expected little growth this first year. “One day Tim picked a flower and crushed it up and smelled it, and his eyes lit up, and he offered me a whiff and said ‘This is what you want!’”

After only a few months the plants were thriving, producing enough flowers for regular picking. “Tim was overwhelmed at the success,” says Sieczkowski. “We planted in a soil we knew nothing about, they all came up, they’re taller than we ever expected, and we’ve got flowers!” Will this success encourage more farmers to plant hops in the area? “I hope so – that’s the intent,” says Sieczkowski. “I can’t get over the positive feedback from people in the area about my growing hops!”

Sieczkowski’s willingness to experiment is certainly paying off, providing Flying Bison with a local source for hops and the Niagara region with yet another exciting crop.

With so much more ground to cover -- literally -- during 2010's event, we'll probably begin the formal programming Friday afternoon and extend it well into Sunday this year.

We already have 40 bloggers and spouses/significant others signed up to come, so if you're interested, make sure you let me know soon. I imagine we'll have some cancellations, but we're probably going to cap the event to 50 people.

Evan and I will be working on the plans this weekend, so I hope to have more information ready to publish soon.

He has an M.S. in Enology and Viticulture from Cornell University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Prior to Lamoreaux Landing, Paul made wine for Ravines Wine Cellars and Keuka Lake Vineyards in the Finger Lakes, and Whitehaven Wine Co. in Marlborough, New Zealand.

He is a graduate of the American Wine Society Judge Certification Program and holds an Advanced Certificate in Wine and Spirits through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust of London, England.

And now, our standard questions:

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember drinking?
I had a dishwashing job when I was in high school. One night I “borrowed” a bottle of wine from there to bring to a party. Turns out that I wasn't as cool as I thought… the wine ended up being cooking sherry (an early adopter of the screw-cap).

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the wine industry? I was working as a patent examiner in Washington D.C., locked up in an office all day pushing paper and talking with lawyers on occasion. My wife-to-be challenged my ability to appreciate wine. I read a highly respected wine book ("Wine for Dummies"). I liked what I read and over breakfast one Sunday morning in January 2001 we came up with a five year plan to join the wine industry in the Finger Lakes. My background in chemical engineering helped me understand and get excited about winemaking. I couldn’t get enough information. Our plan has worked out perfectly so far.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why? Truly I like them all. If I had to pick a favorite, I would say our chardonnay mostly because I enjoy making it and the idea of making it.

We have a wide selection of grapes from five vineyards, use multiple cooperages and I have numerous blending opportunities with 100+ barrels and several tanks each year. We only make two chardonnays, our regular vintage chardonnay and our reserve. Both come out of the same program. The regular chardonnay is racked after 10 months in the barrel while the reserve remains on the lees in barrel for an additional six months. I always say that these are the wines that we put the most time into. Stirring, topping and testing barrels from harvest till the following July or December lets us really get to know these wines as they develop. We had 120 barrels, divided into 18-plus lots this past vintage.

The reality is that chardonnay is the number one wine varietal in the world. I feel it is often overlooked in the Finger Lakes as we have the potential to make a world-class chardonnay, but few producers are putting a lot of effort into them.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine community?
The answer is in the question. The community as a whole has surprised me.

I am extremely impressed by the amount of information we are all willing to share with each other. As a winemaker I feel comfortable talking with many other winemakers for advice or to borrow supplies if what I need is not on hand.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills your glass?
Genesee Cream Ale. It is highly underrated, a local beer (Rochester) and goes great with a wide range of food. We like to call it our house beer, and the riesling of mass-market beer. I also drink other wines from across New York all the time.

Is there a 'classic' wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself enjoy?
Not really. I am open to all wine styles as long as they are well made. I can usually find some aspect of a pairing to appreciate. Just the other night I was drinking an otherwise salty and undistinguished Swiss wine paired with duck hearts and gizzards. It was delicious.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.
I love being outside on a nice day with my wife, two wine glasses and a well thought out meal made with local ingredients to pair with the wine. Whether we are at a concert, camping or just enjoying a picnic down at Seneca Lake State Park its about as good as wine enjoyment can get for me.

September 29, 2009

To most wine lovers outside of New York (and even many in New York) Dr. Konstantin Frank Viniifera Wine Cellars is synonymous with Finger Lakes wine. Dr. Frank's is one of the region's largest, best and most widely distributed producers.

Of course, the winery is best known for its riesling bottlings, followed closely by Gewurztraminer and, partly because it's unique and partly because it's unique -- Rkatsiteli.

Today's review isn't of any of those well-regarded wines. Instead, we'll focus on a ripe, polished Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Cabernet Franc ($20) that still left me wanting just a bit.

Medium ruby-garnet in the glass, this Finger Lakes cabernet franc has aromas of blackberry, cherry, oak, grilled mushrooms and hints of tomato leaf.

Medium bodied and soft and just a little juicy on the palate, the ripe cherry flavors take center stage here with a bit of blackberry and subtle spice. With low tannins and somewhat low acidity, it's almost too smooth around the edges -- to the point that I'm not sure it's easily recognizable as cabernet franc.

I'd like a little less oak, a bit more herbal character and a bit more structure as well, especially acidity.

Still, it's ripe (easier in the hot 2007 year) and is an approachable style of cabernet franc that will appeal to the masses.

A couple news items that hit our virtual news desk over the last couple of days:

When Bob Palmer, who founded Palmer Vineyards in 1983, passed away over the winter, many wondered if his family would take over and keep one of the oldest vineyards on the North Fork of Long Island running. They have so far, but it sounds as if they are ready to move on. The winery (and a separate vineyard) are now on the market and being sold in two parcels.

The first property, on 61 acres in Aquebogue, includes the winery, the tasting room, and the restored 18th century farmhouse. It is being offered for $6.9 million. Their vineyard in Cutchogue, planted with pinot blanc, chardonnay, merlot, sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon is being sold for $3.9 million.

The Palmer Vineyards brand is not included in the sale, but can be negotiated separately.

In a Newsday story, Palmer's daughter and the winery's business manager, Kathly Le Morzellec called the decision to sell a "practical" one rather than an emotional one, saying that it would be too expensive and too much work to replace both his enthusiasm and his marketing expertise.

Suzanne Hahn of the Brown Harris Stevens Cutchogue office is the exclusive listing agent. The vineyard and winery was founded by Bob Palmer in 1983. Palmer Vineyards produces up to 16,000 cases of wine each year. For more information, contact Suzanne Hahn of Brown Harris Stevens at (631) 477-8001.

Le Morzellec also says in the Newsday piece that there has been a lot of interest in both properties. But, Sherwood House Vineyard and Castello di Borghese have been for sale for some time. These sales don't happen quickly -- especially in a down economy.

In other news, Ben Feder, owner and winemaker at Clinton Vineyards passed away last Thursday.

Ben, former graphic artist and book designer came to the Hudson Valley in 1969 and purchased a rundown 100-acre dairy farm. Ben sought advice from fellow winemaker Herman Wiemer who made wine for Walter S. Taylor at the Bully Hill Vineyard and then went off to make his own prize winning riesling in the Finger Lakes. Hermann's advice to Ben was to grow seyval blanc, a French-American hybrid grape that does well in the harsh climate of the Northeast.

Ben’s first vintage was in 1977, the year after Gov. Hugh L. Carey put through a farm winery bill permitting small wineries to sell direct to customers, retailers and restaurants.

The tasting room remains open, but I don't have any further information on the future of the winery and property at this time.

September 28, 2009

What’s this area known for? What’s your specialty? Which white do you do best? These are all questions that I get asked when pouring local wine for newcomers to the Niagara region.

I don’t always have time to explain the diversity of soils or the huge difference in how Lake Ontario moderates one mile from the lakeshore to six miles inland to the Escarpment. Nonetheless, people seem to want an answer as to what our signature white grape variety is or will be.

It's not an easy question to answer.

In the Finger Lakes, of course, it’s obvious. And even though I’ve tasted some amazing rieslings from the young vineyards on the bench of the Escarpment up here, I would never dare claim riesling to be ours.

On the North Fork of Long Island, I believe that sauvignon blanc does best as a white varietal. Again, a few sauvignon blancs from the lakeshore appellations of Ontario have wowed me and I’m confident it can be as good across the river here, but I also admit that Long Island will consistently make more approachable versions year to year.

So what noble white grape does that leave us with? I hate to say it, but…chardonnay. Now I’m usually the last person who would get excited over chardonnay, but a few local wineries have opened my eyes to the grape that grows everywhere.

I’ve long been a fan of unoaked versions but only recently did I begin to believe that the Niagara region could produce distinctive mineral-driven wines similar to Chablis. The Freedom Run Winery 2008 Estate Chardonnay has chalky notes and a chiseled structure that I can only relate to the aforementioned French region. I’ve met many serious wine buyers in the area that have been wowed by this wine, of which only 45 cases were made.

Randy Biehl of Eveningside Vineyards has produced buzz-worthy chardonnays from his small estate vineyard for three years now, and I think his wines are only getting better. His 2008 unoaked Chardonnay is not as mineral-driven as the Freedom Run version, but it has a similar understated elegance. His newest 2008 Reserve Chardonnay shows power and grace with just enough spice to give you a finish worth pondering.

I can’t mention chardonnay and the Niagara region in the same sentence without mentioning Duncan Ross of Arrowhead Spring Vineyards in Lockport, NY. Working with Finger Lakes growers the last two years, he has made two exceptional Chardonnays. To be honest, it was his 2006 wine that finally motivated me to give other oaked chards a chance. His 2008 will be from estate-grown grapes, and I can say that if he replicates his success with his previous two efforts, I’ll be fully converted to clothed chardonnay.

Will there be many other white grape varieties worth drinking up here in the future? Definitely, but if you ask me today which white grape does best on the narrow band of shallow clay and limestone drawn up as the Niagara Escarpment AVA – and which will produce distinctive wines distinguishable from the other NY wine regions – as of today the answer is simple: chardonnay.

At Sherwood House Vineyards in Mattituck, NY, the focus is set squarely on Old World-style chardonnay and merlot. My distaste for regional comparisons aside, their chardonnay is extremely Burgundian and the merlots show restraint and elegance rather than jammy one dimension.

Owners Charles and Barbara Smithen purchased their 1860 farmhouse on Oregon Road in 1996 and planted their vines soon after, starting with 5 acres of chardonnay before planing just over 15 acres more with merlot and chardonnay in 1997. Nearly 7 acres of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot were added in 2000, meaning that almost 27 of their 38 acres are under vine.

The vineyard is managed by veteran vineyard manager and consultant Steve Mudd, and the wines are made by French-born Gilles Martin, who makes wines for a few other small producers.

Sherwood House 2004 Blanc de Blanc ($37) is the Smithen's first sparkling wine release, and is made with 100% estate-grown chardonnay. And, it's one of the best North Fork sparklers I've had lately.

Delicate but flavorful and clean on the palate, the flavors move between apple and citrus -- with that yeasty toastiness there every step along the way. The mid-palate is creamy before giving way to fresh, palate-cleansing acidity.

Another diverse and interesting array of wines (and beer) from the writers and editors of the New York Cork Report.

From Lenn Thompson: Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 1999 Cabernet Franc

You already know that I was in the Finger Lakes last Thursday through Sunday to work the harvest for a couple days at Anthony Road Wine Company. What you probably do not know is that I was lucky enough to score a seat at the invite- and industry-only monthly wine dinner at Red Newt Bistro Thursday night. Each attendee brings a bottle of wine with him or her, and each is tasted blind during the meal.

When this wine came around, I remember thinking (I didn't take notes) that it might be a local franc because of the cherry and faint herbal notes, and was probably pretty young, because the color was still vivid.

When the wine was unbagged, I think almost everyone at the table was surprised to see that the wine was 10 years old. As much as I dig New York cabernet franc, you would have never convinced me that this Hazlitt rendition from 1999 would not only survive 10 years, but still have many years ahead of it. What a great experience tasting this wine was.

We tasted some great wines, but it was the wine of the night for me.

From Evan Dawson: New York Wine & Culinary Center Beer Flight

How do you recover from a massive NY wine hangover? With a flight of NY beer, of course.

I wish I had taken more pics of the case-and-a-half of wine that was heartlessly dispatched on Saturday night when nearly half the NYCR staff assembled for dinner. There were numerous standouts; the most surprising for me was the plummy, earthy Macari Vineyards 2005 Malbec.

On Sunday night I joined my wife's family for a birthday dinner at the New York Wine & Culinary Center. The wine list for me must have looked like the beef selections for vegetarians. I was more than happy with the nice selection of New York-made beers (Roosterfish Firehouse Blonde, Ithaca Cascazilla Hoppy Red Ale, Duke of Winship Scotch Porter, Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence), though. The Firehouse Blonde was a silky starter, and while I don't generally dig chocolate stouts, the Ommegang was subtle.

Shorter version: If you're chasing a wine hangover with beer, it might be time to admit that someone has a problem.

From Bryan Calandrelli: Eveningside Vineyards 2008 Reserve Chardonnay
After having a few forgettable Bourgognes this past week, I’d been feeling good about the local chardonnays I’ve been drinking and I needed to try some more. Eveningside Winery on the Niagara Escarpment has been making consistent estate chardonnay for a few years now so I decided to stop in and see if the 2008 Reserve Chardonnay was available.

Since the 2007 Reserve is still on the tasting menu, this bottle of 2008 is still not ready for public tasting. I was lucky enough to convince them I just had to have a bottle of the new stuff.

At this point in its just bottled youth, the aromas are still shy, but what I did get was some citrus and pineapple with a touch of spice and vanilla. The mouth-feel was surprisingly full and round with just enough oak influence to give you a nudge and let you know it’s there. This wine felt clean and very well made. It needs a few months to come out of its shell and show the big fruit that I think it is capable of though. Overall I think this is another serious local wine that I’d bring to any group of wine geeks.

From Tom Mansell: Zaca Mesa Winery 2005 Z Three

This blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre (14/46/40%) was presented to me blind.

When I picked up the bag to pour it, I noticed that the bottle was very heavy, in spite of the fact that it had been passed around to half the table already.
The wine was dark and somewhat sweet, with dark fruit on the nose. I thought the alcohol was somewhat high and that it was a little bit low on acid for my taste.

Basically, the wine didn't interest me nearly as much as the bottle.

When it was unveiled, the enormity of the Burgundy-shaped bottle became apparent. Very thick, dark green glass led down to a punt of epic proportions. With my thumb on the outside, I could nearly fit my
entire hand inside (which, in retrospect, was probably necessary to support the weight of the bottle if pouring from the punt). The empty bottle weighed about as much as a full regular bottle. Not exactly the most earth-friendly wine packaging, don't you think? I am all for aesthetics in bottle presentation and I know that cool bottles sell wine, but this extreme example of a heavy bottle was just absurd.

he body has a smooth mouthfeel up front with a fairly low amount of carbonation for a pilsner. The light hops and pale malt from the nose stick out on the palate. The hops start to come on stronger at the end and add a crispness to the beer before dying out and leaving a dry finish.

Overall, this is a very good pilsner. There is decent depth and plenty of flavor here and the hops are very nice. A must-have pilsner for all craft beer fans.

This beer will pair well with a romaine salad, but my ideal pairing would be a piece of mahi mahi cooked in a lemon, white wine and garlic sauce

September 25, 2009

Just a quick note to check in from the beginnings of the 2009 Finger Lakes grape harvest.

After a couple hours spent at Fox Run Vineyards yesterday afternoon, with Morgan and Evan, bottling some sparkling wine and a delicious industry/winemaker dinner at Red Newt Bistro, I spent the day at Anthony Road Wine Company harvesting a small block of pinot gris just down the hill from the tasting room.

I don't know the total tonnage (will find out tomorrow morning when we sort) but the 6-man crew picked all morning and for a bit after lunch (back at Fox Run by the way -- great sandwiches). The whole clusters are hanging out in the cold room overnight before we get at them tomorrow.

Every wine lover should be lucky enough to harvest grapes at least once in their lives. It really adds to the appreciation one feels for the work and the people behind the wines we love. They are so much more than just a beverage.

I'll let our new science editor, Tom Mansell, chime in on the picture above. He told me to be on the lookout for clusters like this (and for pinot blanc, which we saw a few clusters of as well).

No, they are smiling because they know what I'm in for this weekend and know that I don't. Not really anyway.

I'm leaving for the Finger Lakes tomorrow morning, and after some tasting in the afternoon, probably on Seneca Lake, I'll get to the real work at hand early Friday morning -- working the Finger Lakes harvest for the very first time, and at one of the best wineries in the state, Anthony Road Wine Company.

I hear that we'll be hand harvesting the pinot gris block in front of the winery Friday morning. Then, we'll sort that pinot gris and machine-harvesting more pinot gris at the nearby Nutt Road Vineyard.

I've only done a little bit of harvesting before and that was a single row of cabernet franc, at my own pace. This is sure to be a much different experience, but one that I'm excited about.

I'll have Internet access all three evenings I'm up there, so look for some posts.

In a month I will be participating in my third vintage here in Niagara County wine country. I’ve been lucky enough to gain access to several local winemakers and have gone from having zero experience in making wine to having made six wines in the last two years.

As I start to bottle some of these wines, and no I still haven’t bottled my 2007s, I plan on sharing my adventures – and misadventures – here on the New York Cork Report. While I am by no means an expert in chemistry, viticulture, sensory evaluation or anything, now that I’m thinking about it, I do have a decent amount of experience drinking wine and I know what I like.

With the knowledge I’ve picked up from making wine and talking with winemakers, my approach to drinking it has changed forever. In some ways I’ve become more critical, and in other ways I’ve grown to appreciate simpler wines.

Specifically I’ve become much more sensitive to oak. In my desire to figure out how a wine was fermented, cold soaked, de-stemmed, etc., I find that oak just masks these processes.

Knowing the kind of adjustments winemakers have to or opt to employ in the winery, I have also become sensitive to acidity. For example, when I get overripe fruit on the nose and a vibrant acidity on the palate I just assume that that acid came from a bag.

Since making my own, I’m constantly trying to sniff out VA, sulfides and other gas-related flaws in wine. Since most wines do exhibit varying levels of these compounds, it’s tough to distinguish acceptable levels, which are levels that the average wine drinker may not perceive or even find enjoyable.

So with only a couple years of messing around with grapes and yeast, I know now that wine drinking will never be the same. I’m going to start keeping the readers here up to date with the wines I’ve made, am making and hope to make from now on. I’d love to hear your opinions on how wine making has affected your appreciation the wines you drink

The LENNDEVOURS/New York Cork Report team has grown by yet another New York wine lover today. Please join me in welcoming Julia Burke to the site, focusing mainly on the Niagara Escarpment region, but also chiming in on beer on occasion.

Julia has lived in the Buffalo, NY area for over ten years. She
discovered the Niagara Escarpment wine scene entirely by accident and
soon became completely immersed in the world of wine, leaving behind
her previous aspirations of moving to Cambodia to live in a yurt. She
looks forward to making her own wine someday and watching the Niagara
Escarpment become a world-renowned wine region.

Julia enjoys cooking, hiking, and traveling, ideally with a glass of
wine in hand. She has spent time in Oregon, Nova Scotia, Denmark,
Ireland, France, and China, and hopes to add South Africa, New Zealand
and India to the list.

Originally a beer enthusiast, she enjoys an occasional pint in the vineyard.

Lucas winemaker Jeff Houck is unaware of this, but he was born with trace amounts of sodium pentothal in his blood. You know it better as "truth serum." He's incapable of even trying to mislead you about the wines made by Lucas Vineyards on the southwestern part of Cayuga Lake. He's an FBI agent's dream -- were he ever to commit a high-profile felony, that is. Easiest conviction ever.

I didn't know this, of course, until I asked why Lucas Vineyards planted syrah in the early part of this decade. Jeff answered thusly: "No one else was doing it, and we wanted to have something original."

See, most winemakers would say something like, "A topographical survey indicated that the Finger Lakes might have as much in common with Cote-Rotie as we do with Mosel, so we figured..." Or even, "The cool climate opportunity with this varietal is..." But nope, Jeff had no problem saying that Lucas just wanted something unique.

I loved that answer.

I didn't necessarily agree with the choice. Sure, syrah's ancestral home of Cote-Rotie is saddled with a bit of a misnomer (Cote-Rotie translates to "roasted coast," but the appellation is the coolest in the Rhone Valley). And that misnomer might lead one to wonder if the grape actually profits from cooler climates more than warmer. But I thought the odds were stacked strongly against it. Very few Finger Lakes producers make a straight syrah (I can think of Red Newt and Atwater off-hand, and that's about it), and the free market of winemaking is pretty effective. Its relative lack of presence betrayed something significant.

The wine, I discovered, betrays nothing inherently flawed. The 2007 version is the second produced by Lucas, and Jeff Houck concedes he might never again see such hot and dry conditions. This syrah comes off suspiciously similar to a warm year, cool-climate Merlot -- with an extra round of black pepper and spice mixed in. "It's the spice that makes syrah unique," Jeff said as we tasted on a glorious harvest day. "But I understand why people would find it similar to other vinifera wines."

C'mon, I was thinking, Where's the hyperbole? The grand pronouncements of Syrah's new cool climate sweet spot?

But Jeff Houck doesn't peddle in hyperbole. Lucas' website lists 28 different wines for sale and they total 26,000 cases annually. It's a workhorse operation and Jeff explains, "It's not always easy to give each varietal as much time as you want. Our goal is to produce a wide range of wines that will satisfy a wide range of customers." Judging by the packed tasting room, the approach is working.

Outside in the vineyard, Jeff was even harsher in his assessment of Finger Lakes syrah. "I would certainly not recommend that other operations plant it," he said, then added playfully, "We want to be the only ones making it!" But he wasn't kidding about the challenges of growing syrah. "The clusters are just gorgeous, and they'll motor along throughout the growing season, but all of a sudden they'll hit this wall, and they're pretty much done. We're not exactly sure why that is yet. But there seems to be a point that they simply stop ripening."

As a result, syrah requires a careful eye and more resources in the Finger Lakes. "I don't have all the numbers in front of me, but the reason I wouldn't recommend planting it is because it's a serious challenge economically. I doubt we're making much money with Syrah. But don't misunderstand me. I love our syrah and we're proud of it."

The 2007 sells for $24.99 per bottle and given how approachable it is, I'd guess it will sell out.

Jeff's true vinifera passion clearly lies in riesling and cabernet franc, and before we left he raided the library. I was shocked that the '03 Lucas Cabernet Franc was stilling cranking cigar box and plum. The '05 is a standout from a sure-to-be-classic vintage. On the riesling side, I thought the '03 Lucas Dry Riesling was turning over to a bit too much rubber tire, but the '01 Lucas Semi-Dry was like a marathon runner who had given up at mile 10 -- only to find out at mile 15 that he had another gear. Very impressive.

There is something distinctly cloying about false profundity. There is something equally profound about humility, and Jeff Houck has it in abundance. You might not love every wine, but that won't offend him -- and you'll root for this winemaker who is cheerfully and straightforwardly approaching his 14th harvest.

September 22, 2009

My assignment this time around for "Local with Local" was a pairing with Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Red Oak Riesling.

This is a beautiful Finger Lakes dry riesling that has overtones of pear and lemon pith. Nice structure, mineral and lean, but Lenn will tell you more about that in an upcoming review. On with the food pairing.

As I was tasting this I thought it would be lovely with an appetizer utilizing local pears -- a great way to start off a great meal! So how about a flatbread with roasted fennel, sauteed pears, arugula and shaved Manchego cheese?

I make my own flatbread, but you certainly can purchase a flatbread and build this appetizer.

Pear-Fennel Flatbread with Arugula and Manchego
Makes three 4x6" flatbreads

Place chopped fennel on pan for roasting. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Roast until soft and begins to color, about 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

While roasting the fennel, in a saute pan add about two tablespoons of olive oil and begin sauteeing shallots on high heat. Reduce to medium heat and as shallots begin to soften, add pears with minced garlic and salt and pepper.

Continue saute until pears are soft, but not mushy. Cool both fennel and pear mixture.

On the flatbread, layer fresh arugula to cover, add pear and shallot mixture, then layer on roasted fennel (divide evenly between the three flatbreads.

Shave Manchego on top and bake in oven (375) for about 10 minutes.

Cut each flatbread into quarters and serve immediately with a glass of the Lamoreaux Landing Red Oak Riesling. Serves 3 to 6 people.

September 21, 2009

As is often the case, we have a diverse group of wines this week, including some varieties that are most definitely off the beaten path.

By Bryan Calandrelli: Lagunitas Brewing Gnarly Wine

When your weekend schedule consists of painting and watching football, there's only one beverage that will do -- beer. And what does a wino want to drink when he needs to drown his painting sorrows? A Lagunitas Gnarly Wine barley wine.

Aromas of sweet caramel and citrus in the glass along with plumy fruit and spice notes as well. A mouth-filling texture and full-bodied palate made this a sipping beer demanding all of my attention. This is not a pretzel or potato chip kind of beer.

While I've had other barley wines that may have had too much sweetness or alcohol levels that stick out, this one had neither. A great balance of hops, sweetness, spice and alcohol made this one worth the lack of productivity I achieved after just a few glasses. As you can see from the photo, I started with more than enough.

By Evan Dawson: Hopler 2006 Zweigelt, Austria

If we could jump ahead 20 years, I wouldn't be surprised if there
is quite a lot of Zweigelt planted in the Finger Lakes. Only a
curiosity now, this grape comes from a cross of Blaufrankisch and St.
Laurent -- and some local winemakers are serious about its potential
here. They include German-born Johannes Reinhardt of Anthony Road, who
says, "It thrives in cool climates and it has surprising depth, maybe
more than Lemberger."

I'd like to taste a
wider range of Zweigelt before I get a feel for it. This one was
high-toned and spicy, not unlike many Finger Lakes reds. It's on the
wine list at the Hazelnut Kitchen in Trumansburg, which offers
outstanding local food and a diverse drink menu.

I simply ask that if
Zweigelt makes its way into the Finger Lakes mainstream, we also add
Auxerrois and Gruner Veltliner, giving the Finger Lakes the distinction
of making a long list of excellent wines that no one can pronounce on
the first try.

I picked this 2006 Burgundy at random from the wine list of a local
Syracuse restaurant called The Scotch and Sirloin.

I haven't been able
to pin down much information about the wine, but I very much enjoyed
it.

The profile featured bright cherry and plum with just a touch of
earth. It drank smooth without a deep finish, yet it seemed complete on
its own terms. This cool-climate, fruit-forward red was in great
balance despite its lack of a big punch.

This
wine has great dark red-violet color and an intensely fruity nose,
evident upon opening the bottle, with cherry and huckleberry, shades
of oak and a little heat. On the palate, it's got fresh acidity and
little to no astringency (the acid adds a bit of pucker but no
roughness). It comes up a little short on body in the mid-palate and
overall finish, but it's light and refreshing and wouldn't go too bad
with a slice of pizza.

In fact, I nuked a slice of leftover pizza and
ate it with this to test my theory (ah, the things I do for science);
it works out pretty well. The color and aroma that Lemberger brings
to the party may be part of the reason that the Cabernet
Franc/Lemberger blend has shown up in several instances here in the
Finger Lakes. It's priced to move at the winery now, so they are
probably getting ready for the 2007 version to hit the shelves.

From Lenn Thompson: Benmarl Winery 2007 Baco Noir, Hudson Valley

I love when a wine surprises me, and this baco definitely did over the weekend during a multi-course meal that my friend A and I cooked for our wives.

Why I even grabbed this wine out of my cellar to pair with a duo of soups -- smoky tomato-orange with candied bacon and wild mushroom with chorizo and scallions -- was random. I found myself talking to a local winemaker about hybrids and baco specifically a couple weeks ago and he called out this wine as one he remembered liking.

Originally, I was thinking pinot for the soups, but thought the spiciness of the smoked paprika and chorizo might overwhelm a bit. That's when I saw this in the cellar and thought to myself "Let's see how this works!"

Beautifully. Medium-light in body, it's a low-tannin wine with good acidity (but not overwhelming like some hybrids) and the rich cherry, dried fruit and cocoa powder flavors really worked with the soups. It was the wine-pairing surprise of the evening for sure. I can see why this wine has a bit of a cult following up in the Hudson Valley.

September 17, 2009

As previously mentioned, I co-hosted a blind tasting of 24 rieslings (including 12 from the Finger Lakes) at Peconic Bay Winery last week as a part of the TasteNY project. It was a lot of fun and very interesting to taste these wines with 8 winemakers and some other members of the Long Island wine community.

The 24 wines were broken into three flights of eight wines each and were scored using the American Wine Society 20-point system and sheets.

At the end of the evening, I collected all the scoring sheets and used my rudimentary Microsoft Excel skills to crunch the numbers a bit, dropping the high and low scores for each to arrive at adjusted averages for the wines. Here are the top 10 scoring wines and their score out of 20 possible points:

Phillipps Eckstein 2006 Kabinett

14.9

Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Red Oak

14.85

Weingut Max Richter 2007 Kabinett

14.722

Anthony Road 2008 Semi-Dry

14.67

Billsboro 2008

14.3

Atwater Estate 2007

14.05

Paumanok 2008 Semi-Dry

14

Red Newt 2006 Dry Reserve (tie)

13.6

Sheldrake 2006 Reserve (tie)

13.6

Eroica 2007

13.4

Just out of the top 10 was a cluster of Long Island wines amongst the next five highest scores (with two well-known Finger Lakes producers):

Palmer Vineyards 2008

13.05

Martha Clara Vineyards 2008

12.95

Peconic Bay Winery 2007

12.83

Osprey's Dominion 2008

12.8

Paumanok 2008 Dry (tie)

12.75

Dr. Frank 2007 Dry (tie)

12.75

Fox Run 2008 (tie)

12.75

So what did we learn? I think a few things:

Long Island riesling can more than hold its own. I'll admit it, I was surprised at how well the Long Island wines fared. Pleasantly so.

Winemakers are fun to taste with -- but hyper-critical. Taking the winemakers out of the data didn't significantly impact the wines appearing within the top 10, but it did impact the average scores. With winemakers, the top adjusted average was 14.9. Without them, the lowest score in the top ten was 15.5 and the highest was 18.5.

The winemakers did not like the Peconic Bay 2003. The biggest change in the wines between the groups was for the Peconic Bay Winery 2003 Riesling, which received an average adjusted score of 18 from the non-winemakers. It received a 10.83 adjusted average from the winemakers.

I also know from talking to several of the winemakers at the table that they thought that the Lamoreaux Landing was something other than riesling (sauvignon blanc was the most mentioned). That is also reflected in the scores. It was the non-winemakers' favorite wine overall but was in the middle of the pack for the winemakers.

By the way, there were 8 winemakers tasting and 4 non-winemakers.

Ignoring the numbers themselves for a minute and just looking at the order to choose "favorites" we have:

Overall Favorites:

Finger Lakes: Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Red Oak Riesling

Long Island: Paumanok Vineyards 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling

Other: Phillipps Eckstein 2006 Kabinett*

Winemakers' Favorites:

Finger Lakes: Anthony Road Wine Company 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling

Long Island: Martha Clara Vineyards 2008 Riesling

Other: Phillipps Eckstein 2006 Kabinett*

Non-Winemakers' Favorites:

Finger Lakes: Lamoreaux Landing 2008 Red Oak Riesling*

Long Island: Peconic Bay Winery 2003 Riesling

Other: Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007 EROICA Riesling

* Overall favorite within the grouping

I know that I've only offered a little analysis here, but hey, I'm a blogger, not a statistician. It's been a long time since that bio-metrics/statistics course in undergrad.

Once again, I'd like to thank Peconic Bay Winery for hosting us, the winemakers and other industry folk who joined us and to all the Finger Lakes wineries that participated in the TasteNY project.

You drive down lake roads this time of year and I know what you're thinking. The sunflowers appear to be slumped over, bowing their heads and mourning the death of summer. It's important to remember that they're only weighed down by seeds.

New life. Harvest is here.

Perhaps you've attended a harvest dinner before, but I'd guess you've never attended a harvest dinner that pairs locally grown food with a full flight of... beer? Yes, beer, for the entire evening.

"Beer fanatics are already excited about this one," says Liz Karabinakis, the community food educator who has been working with Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County to plan a series of diverse havest dinners. "They'll be pouring specialty brews, and even though I'm a wine lover, it got my attention!"

That's the idea behind the Healthy Food For All harvest dinner series. Each event costs $75 per person, and Karabinakis says the organizers have tried to vary the themes. "There's so much food, wine and beer to showcase that we wanted to give people a chance to attend multiple farms and not feel like it's the same thing at each event."

The beer-themed harvest dinner will be hosted by West Haven Farm in Ithaca on November 8. But while beer gets the spotlight for one night, local wines are appearing more often at these events, with wines from Bet the Farm and Hosmer on future menus.

"Vine Dining" trend gains steam

There is something purely invigorating about dining al fresco, surrounded by vines and chickens and rows of vegetables just waiting to be harvested. On Sunday night we were part of a sold-out harvest dinner at Sweet Land Farm in Trumansburg, where Vinny and Kim Aliperti of Atwater Estate Vineyards and Billsboro Winery poured some of their best. And with no cloud cover to offer a blanket of insulation, the first whispers of fall only added to the elysian ambiance.

"Vine dining is building in popularity over the past several years," Karabinakis says. "In fact, we model some of our events directly from the Atwater event that they host. If we can sit outside among the vines, we love to do it. And while not every farm has vines, the concept stays true when we're dining just a few steps from where the food was harvested literally that morning."

The menu was thoughtful, the wine refreshing. I was surprised to find that my favorite was the chicken liver toast with fig jam, though I also loved the celario-apple salad that accompanied the local roast pork.

Tours add value

We joined Evangeline Sarat for a farm tour -- and, as you can see in the picture on the right, she demonstrated just how fresh the food for that evening was. While I enjoyed seeing her rip food straight from the earth, my wife marveled at the backpack that carried her budding farmer baby.

Most harvest dinners will include optional tours, and Karabinakis says guests will have a chance to see more than just the farms. She points out that for the upcoming October 11 dinner at Stick and Stone Farm in Ithaca, guests can tour Regional Access right next door. Regional Access has built a distribution system that allows local chefs to use more local food.

Focus on CSAs

With many farms participating in community supported agriculture (CSA), guests have a chance to learn about what it means to buy into a CSA. At Sweet Land Farm, members operate on an honor system when they come to pick up food. A sign instructs members to "take only what you need," and they're also free to pick fruits on their own.

The Healthy Food For All series of dinners has three events remaining this season, with the first coming this Sunday. Karabinakis says that while past events have sold out, there is some ticket availability. But you're better off calling to inquire as early as possible to make sure you're not shut out.

Other farms and wineries are holding events on their own. It's a time of year to remember: There is life in the fields. Harvest is here, and local farmers are joining winemakers and brewmasters to share their stories.

Lieb Family Cellars, a small North Fork winery with a tasting room tucked into the front of the Premium Wine Group complex, was one of the wineries that first inspired me to start writing about wine more than five years ago. It was the first winery I had visited on Long Island where I enjoyed every wine in the lineup. In fact, Nena and I joined the wine club after that first visit.

So, when I was trying to decide what winery to visit for Wine Blogging Wednesday #61: At the Source, I eventually shot an email to Gary Madden, Lieb's long-time general manager, to set up an appointment for last night for after work.

My target wine for WBW was the newly Lieb Family Cellars 2007 Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc ($18), but over the course of two-plus hours, Gary and I tasted through the current releases as we talked about chardonnay styles on Long Island, how the economy has impacted business (a large part of their model is restaurants in Manhattan), wine dinners, blogging and my evolution as a writer.

Like I said, Gary was there at the beginning.

But let's get back to the wines, which were showing very well for the most part. Some quick-hit notes for some of the wines we tasted:

2008 Bridge Lane Merlot Blanc ($15): Pretty nose of cherry, citrus and peach. Peach and cherries on the palate with good acidity up front, but an abrupt finish makes it seem less bright. Liked the 07 far better.

2007 Reserve Pinot Blanc ($20): Ripe pear, floral and some melon on the nose. Great balance, clean, dry and slightly creamy with a great minerally edge. Very Alsatian.

2005 Blanc de Blancs ($35): Fresh and crisp with bright pear and apple flavors with toasty yeast/dough notes and hints of honey. Maybe the best vintage of this wine to date.

September 16, 2009

Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday's 61st edition (hard to believe, isn't it) and I'm hosting once again. This month's theme is "At the Source" where I've challenged participants to write about a wine based on a tasting done at a winery.

Think of it as my way of encouraging a "local wine" story without doing the same ole theme again.

I think this is going to be a fun one, especially for those bloggers who live in lesser-known and non-traditional wine regions. I hope they had fun with it and I hope that there are some fruit wines or off-the-wall things included.

Me? I'm heading to Lieb Family Cellars after work tonight. The target wine? A newly released 2007 Bridge Lane Cabernet Franc that I've heard some good things about.

Look for my post late tonight and for the roundup over the next several days.

Participants, please make sure that you email me with your submission URLs.

September 15, 2009

This week's Q&A is with Derek Wilber, president and winemaker at White Springs Winery on Seneca Lake.

Derek is a native of the Finger Lakes and has been in the grape and wine business since his dad dragged him in kicking and screaming as a teenager.

A graduate of Cornell University with a degree in Fruit Science, he became a commercial winemaker in 1984 and since then has worked for a large winery, a start-up winery and wineries in between. Since February, 2006 he has been president and winemaker of White Springs Farm Estate Winery in Geneva, New York.

He lives in the house he grew up in with his wife, Donna and their two boys, Dana and Baird.

And now, our standard set of questions:

What (and where) was the first bottle of wine you remember
drinking?

When I was a young teen, my father closed his small clothing store in Penn Yan and began managing a grape farm owned by a friend of his. I began working there after school and became intrigued with grape growing.

My first bottle of wine or samples were the wines produced from the grapes produced by this traditional Finger Lakes farm in the 1970s. Wines made by the Taylor Wine Company in Hammondsport. That was our primary purchaser, native grapes mostly. I worked for my dad full time for a year out of high school and my fondest memory at the time is of the two of us coming home in the winter after being outside pruning all day and having a glass of sherry by the fire before dinner. The warmth of both the sherry and the fire after being out in the cold was a great way to end the day.

What event/bottle/etc made you decide that you wanted to be in the
wine industry?

I had decided after a year in Florida that I wanted to be a vineyardist and enrolled at Cornell to study agriculture. The bottle of wine that piqued my interest in vinifera-based wines was a inexpensive French white that I can’t recall where it was from or who produced it. It was something I could afford to drink regularly and I knew that that style of wine was something I wanted to help make. This was 1975 when I was being taught that such wines were risky and marginal at best in the Finger Lakes.

Which of your current wines is your favorite and why?

My favorite current wine is our 2007 Gewurztraminer. First because 2007 was a nice vintage for the variety and second because it really goes well with the fresh herbs coming out of our kitchen garden at the moment.

What has surprised you most about being a member of the Finger Lakes wine
community?

A lot of things don’t surprise me about the Finger Lakes wine community -- its sense of camaraderie, resilience and enthusiasm. What does surprise me is its growth over the last few years where you now really have to work to get to know everyone.

Other than your own wines, what wine/beer/liquor most often fills
your glass?

I am not a drinker of wine on its own. The great majority of the wine I drink is directly with a meal. I’ll have a beer just as I am starting dinner to quench my thirst. I will have the beer while I am slicing and dicing but once I begin to cook I switch to the wine of the night.

Is there a 'classic'
wine or wine and food pairing that you just can't make yourself
enjoy?

The pairing I can’t enjoy is anything with curry. I know that at the right level it can be a great match with riesling but I will drink the wine and let my wife have the curry.

Wine enjoyment is about more than just the wine itself. Describe
the combination of wine, locations, food, company, etc. that would make (or has
made) for the ultimate wine-drinking experience.

It is as much about the time and place as the wine a lot of the time. Just before Labor Day in 2004 (I think) I had just bottled our 2002 dry reds at Swedish Hill and brought a couple of bottles to a neighbor’s house for an evening picnic. The wine had been bottled that day and hadn’t had time to get bottle shock yet.

We sat at the picnic table on a breezy star-filled night had dinner and then began arguing about politics and culture. Our kids fell asleep on the ground as we drank the wines and talked late into the night. I don’t know or care whether the wines showed well or not but the combination of the wine, the night, the company and the realization that it was the last social event before harvest began made it a memorable night.